Rumor Says
by TeeterTotter
Summary: Bella Swan has a habit of offending people. When she gets on the wrong side of Miss Alice Cullen, her brother Edward steps up, determined to get Bella to apologize for her actions. Bella's stubborn, but Edward can be very persuasive. M for language, etc..
1. Pixie

_Rumor says:_

_Socialite Alice Cullen hosted her long-awaited bash last night at the grand opening of her new store, __**Pixie**. _

_All seemed well, until trouble started stirring, and newly born Fashionista Cullen was seen storming out of her own party. _

_Difficulty in designer-world? You better get used to it, "Pixie."_

Hello.

My name is Bella Swan.

I am 26 years old, and I work as a gossip columnist for some relatively no-name magazine. Oh, and in case you couldn't tell yet, I have a vagina.

So now that we've got that out of the way, there's one important thing you need to know about me.

I'm a complete and total bitch.

Go ahead, process that for a second.

No, really. I want you to understand that to its full extent.

Ready?

Good.

I'm not going to sugarcoat this little introduction. Just because we don't really know each other, doesn't mean I'm going to pretend I like you, or that I actually want to get to know you.

I admit I do have a heart, however long it might take you to find it. I have feelings, and I care about a lot of things. For instance, I love my cat. I love my best friend. I cry on movies that tug at my heartstrings. I'm a relatively normal, average female.

I just won't take your bullshit, I'm honest, and if you get on my bad side, I will make life miserable for you.

If you're still here, I'm not surprised. If you're not here, I'm not surprised by that, either.

I'm content.

So now that I've got you here, I suppose you're expecting some sort of entertainment, right? Right.

My life is pretty interesting. Working full-time as a gossip-girl of sorts, I get to spend my time going to all the latest clubs, fashion shows, parties, and following the lives of celebrities. Since the magazine company that I work at doesn't focus entirely around the celebrities and hot-shots outside of the next 4 or 5 towns surrounding our city, it's pretty local information.

Not that that stops me from getting any good, juicy work done.

I guess I should get on to the good stuff now. You don't want to hear about my job.

Normally I'm the one to go after my prey, sneaking and flirting my way into shitloads of secrets that they didn't want me to know. It's a comparatively easy way of getting my sources and scandals, not to mention that being a woman with certain body parts definitely makes the job a few notches higher on the easy scale.

However, this particular subject matter walked right into my life.

Actually, it was more like stomped, and very ungracefully I might add.

As I mentioned before, I'm a bitch. I don't take lightly to people aggravating me with meaningless tirades about how I offended someone they know. It's annoying, and honestly, I could care less. So when he came into my office, his bright green eyes fiery and filled with animosity towards me, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Who had I fucked up with this time?

His feet stomped hard as he made his way towards my desk, and his hands were balled into tight fists at his side. I thought I noticed that there was a little puff of steam that came out of his ear, but I chalked that up to sheer imagination and humor. I mean, what wasn't funny about this? There was a grown man, literally stomping, to my desk. If I wasn't finding this incredibly tiresome, I'd probably be laughing.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Are you Isabella Swan?"

"Bella, please. Have a seat."

He glared at me, his eyes still attempting to burn a hole through my head, before sitting delicately on the plush chair in front of my desk. My office was not luxurious; I had a small room with a couple of chairs and a desk. It was very boring and crammed, but I figured if I was going to spend my time in here, why not make sitting here more comfortable? The same went for my visitors.

I crossed my legs underneath the desk, and action he couldn't see, and placed my elbows on the table, my hands holding up my chin as I turned my head to face him directly. When I was at work, I was supposedly representing the company, and therefore needed to be civil about my business, personal or not. Ignoring, or being unnecessarily rude, to someone I don't know would not go over well with my boss. I figured giving this man my full and undivided attention would be the best way to go about things.

Nothing was said for a few minutes. He seemed to be calming down, and I just waited patiently, as impatient as I was. My eyes raked over his body slowly, since he was actually rather attractive. Those green vibrant eyes that bore into mine earlier were now looking down at a spot on my desk. Because of the angle he had his head at, I was given a more obvious view of his lovely hair. It was a rusty color, and was tousled, obvious that he had been pulling at the silky looking locks. It contrasted wonderfully with his skin, which was actually pretty pale, but added to his fairly ethereal features.

I was just about to scrutinize his choice of attire, a simple black suit and tie, with a deep blue button-up underneath, but he snapped his head up to stare at me in an action that would have made my neck hurt for days.

Jesus, this man must have been wound tightly. Get that stick out of your ass, Mr. Beautiful.

The corners of my mouth lifted just slightly, enough to be noticed, but not enough to consider it a smile. He took the hint and began talking.

"Miss Swan, are you aware of who Alice Cullen is?"

Alice Cullen, Alice Cullen… Oh, right. She was that socialite who hosted the design party for some unknown up-and-coming designer, who, in my opinion, wasn't exactly the best out there,

Alice Culle—Oh… Right. She _was_ the unknown up-and-coming designer.

I didn't see what that had to do with this man, though. I nodded curtly, replying with a quick, "I'm aware."

"Miss Swan, are you aware of who I am?"

I wanted to say yes. I like to think of myself as someone who knows everyone, but I knew the answer was no, albeit, he did look familiar.

"Enlighten me, sir."

"My name is Edward Cullen. I'm sure you can guess where I work," he had a look in his eyes that told me I better know, or figure it out quick.

Of course I knew where he worked. His family owned a chain of stores, several different ones in fact, and they were very successful. You'd be crazy not to have heard of the Cullen family. That didn't mean I knew the exact number of people in his family. How was I to know he was related to someone whose taste in clothes was a little… off?

"I can see what this is about, Mr. Cullen," I replied. I narrowed my eyes a fraction, before placing my palms flat against the cool surface of my wooden desk. I inhaled, releasing the air as a sigh, my eyes inadvertently moving sideways to stare at my reflection in my computer screen. I looked good. "Your sister found herself offended at something I said, and you are here to see that I apologize for my actions, am I correct?"

A small part of me was happy to note that he looked surprised, even if it was only for a second.

"Yes, you are correct."

There was a pause.

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Mr. Cullen. I bid your sister a good luck on her fashion endeavors."

With that, I turned back to my computer, and began typing, not really thinking about what I was putting into the machine. Edward stayed seated for what seemed like ten minutes, watching me. I wasn't nervous.

"Mr. Cullen, did I not make it obvious that our discussion was over?"

"Did I not make it obvious that I would not take that for an answer, Miss Swan?"

So he wants a fight. Well I don't give up easily, if at all.

"Then I believe you will be sorely disappointed, sir, because I refuse to apologize for giving someone my opinion, when they asked for it."

It's true. She asked me what I thought of her designs, and I told her.

I told her that her sense of fashion was way off. If she wanted to parade around in those outfits, she should do it on her own, and not charge people to walk around in scraps of material that attempted to form a decent looking outfit. I told her that she should seriously consider another career.

I also told her I was highly inebriated, and would give a more tactful, nicer opinion at a later time, if she so wished it.

She didn't.

"The things you said to my sister were uncouth and impolite. She wanted a critical eye, not someone who discourteously bad-mouthed her to her face. I demand you apologize for your actions."

"Do I look like someone you can order around?"

"Miss Swan, when I feel it is necessary, I will use any means possible to get what I want."

Something stirred in the pit of my stomach, and I had the distinct feeling that it had something to do with the mischievous glint in his eye when he said that. Were I back in high school, I'm sure that he would have given me butterflies like crazy.

I'm a grown woman. Those butterflies became extinct long ago.

"Duly noted, sir. Now if you'll please be so kind, I have some work I need to finish, and you are only wasting my time."

We sat there, staring, challenging. It wasn't uncomfortable, but at the same time, I knew that this man was going to be difficult. I could see a great deal of myself in him. He didn't take shit from anyone, and he certainly did not back down. I was intrigued, I'll admit.

He stood up after a few more seconds, and took a few steps towards the door before pausing, and turning to look back at me.

I was staring at his ass when he walked away, so I was still facing him when he turned, and I raised an eyebrow at him, as if asking, "What?"

I saw his chest lift, he was inhaling, and then the next thing I noticed, was that he was taking long strides back to my desk.

Surprise hit me, but I tried desperately not to show it. He was just testing me, trying to see if he could knock me down. I wouldn't fall for it. I held my ground and watched him with disinterest.

Normally, people invading my "personal bubble" didn't bother me much. I needed to become accustomed to having no fear, and a big fear for most people, was an invasion of personal space.

Like I said, _normally_ people invading my personal space didn't bother me.

_Normally_, I didn't have grown, attractive men stomping into my office.

_Normally_, I didn't come across someone who held a lot of the same qualities as myself.

_Normally_, my prey didn't come to me first.

_Normally_, they didn't kiss me.

Edward Cullen wasn't normal.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or the characters, I only own the idea. (Not sure if I should have put that up there or not... Oh well!)  
**

**Hiiiiii! So I had the sudden urge to write something.. and this came out. I love the idea of Bella being assertive and blunt. **

**I really don't know if I'll continue with this. I'd like to, but I'm not sure if it's worth writing more... Wow, that sounds like I don't care about it. D: I do! So let me know what you think! Haha.**


	2. A Clearwater Birthday

_Rumor says:_

_Keeping in the tradition of true party status, Leah Clearwater's party is going to be anything but a dud. _

_You better start making your rounds to her favorite stores, _

_because you know how these princesses get if you don't give them exactly what they want._

_But what does little Leah want more than Tiffany diamonds?_

_It starts with a U and ends with a Y._

I hate parties.

Something about the fact that they're only had in this stupid city for the press coverage just set me off.

That and the fact that I had a tendency to get drunk and say some stupid shit to the wrong people…

Ugh. I really hate parties.

I always went to them anyways. I would get little invitations, in their little envelopes, written in little handwriting. Everything's becoming miniature nowadays. Except for these bashes, they seemed to get bigger and bigger every year. Despite the fact that I usually ended up making an ass out of myself, and offending only God knows how many people, they always invited me back.

Because I could get them noticed, and because I could put their names in the magazines.

I may have exaggerated a bit when I said I worked at a no-name magazine. It really has a name. And it really gets a lot of attention.

That's why I don't give a rat's ass when I'm the reason why some barely legal teenager runs out of the party crying. They're using me to get them lots of coverage, why can't I use them for a little entertainment? Obviously they don't mind, otherwise I wouldn't be welcomed back.

That's the way things work.

Did I mention I hate parties?

I'm pretty sure I did.

This get-together in particular was one that I was hating from the moment I walked into the building, for one reason, and one reason only.

Edward Cullen.

That son-of-a—What?

Oh, you wanted to know what happened before he finally left my office a couple weeks ago?

I'm not sure I want to tell you. What am I going to get out of it?

Fine.

As I mentioned, he walked to the door, all angry and no doubt about to back to his house and break an expensive vase at his house, or whatever it was rich people did to relieve anger. But he never walked through the door. No, instead, he decided to come waltz right back to my desk, in all his angry glory, and slam his palms flat against the surface.

He leaned in real close to me, and I panicked. It was only for a second, but it happened, which made me panic even more. Here I am, in _my_ office, at _my_ desk, and he was invading _my_ personal space. It doesn't sound that out of the ordinary that I should feel so alarmed, right? But it doesn't happen very often. At least, not anymore.

Thankfully, I kept my composure, and stared levelly back at him, his eyes boring into mine, looking from one eye to the other. I thought maybe he was trying to figure something out. Maybe he thought I was lying about never apologizing. He'd be sorry, if that were the case. I don't back down.

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that. I'd say no more than a couple minutes, but when I think about it that seems like it would go by really slow. Maybe it was only a few seconds? That doesn't matter.

What does matter, is that he began to lean in closer. I moved my head back, of course. I wasn't going to let this guy get so close! I narrowed my eyes at him and opened my mouth, intent on giving him a piece of my mind about his antics. I intended to lift my hand up and push him away, maybe give him a slap or two. I intended to do these things, but I didn't.

When he noticed me leaning away from him, he roughly grabbed the back of my head, and pulled it forward, crushing his lips into mine in a way that was too uncomfortable for my liking.

Maybe because my mouth was still open a little.

It didn't last long. I wouldn't have allowed it to. As soon as the kiss came, it went. He immediately released me, and I almost fell backwards in my chair, from how much I was pushing back against his hand. I scowled at him. Who the hell did this guy think he was?!

"I'm looking forward to that apology. Thanks for the kiss." He promptly spun around, winking at me, before walking out, far more gracefully than he'd come in.

Yeah, you're just as confused as I am. If someone can please tell me what the fuck's wrong with that guy, I'd be happy to listen.

So why was he ruining this already horrible party?

Because he has been watching me since I first walked in.

I thought perhaps he was only staring over in my direction because I had Rose next to me, our arms linked together as we surveyed the guests. Had he never seen two women holding arms? I highly doubted that. So of course, I knew it had to be because Rose was just so gorgeous. If I were a male, and glanced over at her in her form-fitting black dress, I'd surely have a heart attack.

That excuse worked well for me, until Rose ditched me for some "slice of beef cake." Edward kept watching me. Not constantly, he didn't have his eyes glued to my every move, or anything. I just noticed his eyes made their way over to me more than was necessary.

I wanted to confront him about it, to ask him to take a picture if he was going to keep staring, but I never got the chance to. He had disappeared from my line of sight, and I didn't care too much to find him. I engrossed myself otherwise, in a conversation with a couple I recognized faintly from my hometown.

The Clearwaters were apparently hosting this party for their daughter Leah. It was an early birthday gathering. One of those things they invite people to, before the real birthday party happens. It's pointless, of course. They just want everyone to know that their daughter's birthday is coming up so everyone can get her extravagant gifts, some in hopes of seeming better than everyone else, others as a thank-you for being invited to the first party, and the rest just because they felt obligated.

I've never given anyone a gift.

Aside from my friends and family, naturally, I never attended the actual birthday party. I don't like feeling of being required to get something for someone I don't know, nor care to know. The Clearwaters were decent people, I had to admit. I'm not sure if my judgment was biased, though, since I knew that that Mr. Clearwater was a friend of my father, Charlie.

"So Bella," Mrs. Clearwater pulled me aside, her lips pulling back in a smile to show her sparkling white teeth. "Any new boys in your life?"

Her inquiry seemed innocent enough, and had I not known her ulterior motives, I'm sure I wouldn't have hesitated in answering. "There's a couple, I guess you could say."

"Really? Well Leah's got this really cute friend. I've been trying to set them up since they were little, but they don't really seem to get along too well. Pity, really, but all I can do is try, try, and try again."

I nodded sympathetically, feeling sorry for the poor fool who must have been unfortunate looking if he couldn't get a girl on his own. Not really caring to listen to her story about the kid, I made some excuse to get away from her, right before she would begin badgering me to meet up with him.

As I made my way to the mini bar, I released a long breath of air I had been keeping in my lungs, and ordered myself another drink.

"Tense, much?"

If he thought I was tense before, I wonder what he thought now. I could instinctively feel my shoulder muscles contract, and I stood stiffly, before angling my head in his direction. He was standing beside me, leaning casually on the counter of the bar, swirling his drink in his hand. He looked so at ease, and I wondered why I was the only one who seemed to get so uncomfortable when we were close.

This guy seriously pissed me off.

Choosing that the best way to handle this would be to ignore him, I waited for my drink, which conveniently arrived just when I wanted it to, and promptly set off, determined to put lots and lots of space between us. I didn't expect him to follow me.

Honestly, I didn't notice he was following me, until I saw Rose, and noticed her raised eyebrows, and questioning glances from me, to something behind me. My brows furrowed as I watched her trying to silently communicate with me, but I was not getting it. She rolled her eyes and turned away.

"I'm still waiting for that apology, Miss Swan."

"Well here's a piece of advice, Mr. Cullen," I spun around to glare at him, my drink spilling a few drops. "I don't apologize for anyone, especially not someone who can't even fight her own battles." This caused him to pause, and stare at me, his eyes smoldering with something akin to dislike.

Score one for Bella.

"I'm just protecting you from being in her path when she's honestly furious about something. If she knew you were here, well, let's just say your pretty little dress would probably ripped to shreds and your body sore from the physical abuse she'd inflict on you."

"I'm flattered you're acting like an ass for my protection, but I'm completely able to handle myself. I don't need some stuck-up rich prude to constantly pester me into doing something that I know will never happen."

"Miss Swan, I believe it would be in your best interest if we stepped outside to finish this discussion."

"Why in _hell_ would I go anywhere with you?!"

He smirked, pointing his finger behind me. I turned to see what he was showing me, and rolled my eyes when I spotted his sister, giggling at some blonde whose hand was firmly attached to hers. They were heading our way, but obviously oblivious to where exactly they were going. I turned back to Edward and his crooked grin, placing a hand on my hip, and standing with a posture that clearly stated, "Are you kidding?" He seriously thought his sister was going to beat me up.

All he did was grab my wrist, and pull me in the direction of a pair of doors I hadn't noticed before. I didn't protest. Why bother? I preferred not to make a scene, and he must have had something somewhat important if he wanted to talk about it in the privacy of our own company.

Before I realized it, the cool wind hit me instantly, and I wondered when the temperature had the time to drop so drastically from earlier. Oh well. I had lived in Forks, surely a little wind wouldn't hurt.

Edward ran a finger through his perfectly styled hair, disheveling it to the point where it stuck out in places. It was oddly attractive.

Damnit, Bella. Why are you thinking like that?

"Well? What's so important that you need to isolate me?"

"Isolate you? You're hardly alone out here."

I snorted, not an attractive sound, but I didn't care about attracting one Edward Cullen. "Aside from you, I'm the only person out her, though you don't really qualify as a quality person, do you?" I pretended to eye him up and down, seeing if he fit the mark. He quirked a brow, waiting for my observation to be done with, arms crossing in front of his chest.

He didn't have his drink with him anymore, and I felt a little out of place having mine, so I gulped it down, regretting it right after. Immediately the tickle in my throat came, and I couldn't help the sputtering cough that emitted from my mouth.

Stupid, stupid Bella!

Edward's hands instantly went to my back, hitting it lightly in an attempt to help me regain my breathing. I was gasping by the time my fit had been controlled I swatted his hands away from me, not meeting his eyes as I stood up straight, wiping the imaginary dust from my dress.

It was silent for a few minutes. I didn't want to say anything, my embarrassment silencing me temporarily, and Edward just watched me, probably wary of me having another attack.

To say the silence was awkward was an understatement.

It got so uncomfortable, that I just decided to leave. I made my first step, a confident, determined stride. I never got past the first step, however, because Edward had pulled me back by my arm. The action caught me by surprise, and I nearly fell backwards.

I haven't been considered a clumsy girl since my high school days. Those were definitely my awkward years. If you knew me then, and saw me now, you probably wouldn't recognize me. I prided myself on that.

Edward chuckled, apologizing as he held me against his chest, attempting to set me straight. "You should be sorry, you jerk," I mumbled, untangling myself from him. "People don't just grab other people and yank on them. It's rude."

He refused to let go of me, and when I looked up, my eyes very obviously narrowed at him, he had a grin on his face, one corner of his lips lifted higher than the other side, making it look crooked.

If I didn't find him repulsive, it would be endearing.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Swan. Please forgive me?"

He leaned his head down towards me, the motion so slight I almost didn't notice it. I held my breath, waiting silently for his next move.

The wait took longer than I expected, and I had enough time to filter through my thoughts. My hands lifted up to his chest, gripping the folds on his suit. I had half the mind to pull him closer, and the look in his eyes almost urged me more, but I didn't.

Instead, I curled my fingers around the material, gaining up the strength, and pushed as hard as I could. My plan was successful, and I put some distance between us, mentally applauding myself. He looked surprised, probably not expecting that reaction.

Tch, I bet he's used to getting all the women. Well not me, Mr. Cullen, not me.

I was about to scold him, yell at him for his unnecessary and offensive actions, but he, once again, leaned closer.

His actions moved too fast for me to do anything, his speed unnaturally fast. Within the span of 5 seconds, he had closed the distance between us. His hand, both soft and rough at the same time, had woven itself into my hair at the back of my neck, the other placed on my cheek, pulling me forward. His head ducked down, and his lips met mine in a rough, somewhat forceful kiss. It wasn't as crazy and uncomfortable as our first, but it was in a close second.

I didn't respond. How could I? This guy was forcing me into these situations, and there was nothing I could do about it. He must have sensed my unresponsiveness, because he pulled back, just a little, and looked down at me. I probably looked furious, that's how I felt, at least. I expected him to apologize again. It would have been right, but instead, he laughed.

Laughed! Unbelievable! He had some nerve, this Cullen character!

"I can't help it. You look so… amusing when you're angry."

I huffed indignantly and struggled to get away, not wanting to be near this man any longer. He had other plans, and not long after, found myself trapped in another lip-lock with him.

This kiss was much gentler. There was still a rough edge to it, but it didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable this time. It was very enjoyable, actually. I almost started to respond, but as soon as I was ready to, his lips had left mine. I peeked through my lashes to see what had happened, and Edward was staring right back down at me.

The green in his eyes looked like it was swirling, and I was positive that wasn't natural. Were people's eyes supposed to be so breathtaking?

Stop it, Bella! You hate this guy, remember?

Oh, right.

Before I could think about what I would say, his lips fell back onto mine, only for a second, and then traveled to the corner of my lips, pressing a quick kiss there, until they moved to my jaw. It felt as though they were barely grazing across my jaw, but when they continued down to my neck, it felt almost ghost-like. It was as though Edward wasn't even touching me. When I felt the distinctive feeling of his tongue, however, I was certain he was still there.

I must have looked like a complete idiot.

Standing there, mouth open in surprise, and confusion, eyes squeezed shut, was probably not how most people react to Edward Cullen, kissing your neck.

How many people are "most people" anyways? I'm certain I wasn't the first one to have Mr. Cullen attacking my neck with his delicious lips. I felt determined to find out. When I was back at work, I would keep a tab on Mr. Cullen, and find out all his dirty secrets.

For that matter, I'll find out all about his snobby little sister, too.

It wasn't until I felt teeth sliding along my neck, that I remembered what Edward was doing. I wasn't even sure how long we'd been out here. 5 minutes? That seems too small. 10 minutes? It didn't matter. What did matter was that I needed to get away. I may be seriously inebriated, especially if I let all this happen, but I had enough sense now, to realize that this was wrong.

My hands slid up his chest, running along the smooth material of his suit. They made their way to his shoulders, squeezing lightly before continuing their ascent to his neck. I noticed his sucking became harder, and suddenly he moved upwards, his lips pushing against mine. It felt urgent, and I had an urge of my own, to just let him kiss me senseless here and now.

No, Bella. You have to stop this now!

I sighed into the kiss, part of me sad that I was going to stop this, the other part of me disgusted with myself for letting this happen in the first place. My fingers crawled up to his hair, curling around the silky strands. Edward must have thought I was going to be more involved in the kiss, because he started to become more demanding with his lips.

Smirking, I wrapped my fingers into his hair tighter, and pulled. He gasped, and released me from his hold. I stepped back, a little dizzy, and let go of his hair. He glared down at me, and his lips were pulled back in a grimace. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Mr. Cullen, I don't know what kind of person you take me for, but I advise you that I'm not someone you can play around with. If you mess with me again, I will fight back, and it won't be pretty. Understood?" I felt more like I was talking to a subordinate than a man who had just kissed me.

"So that's how you want to play, Miss Swan?"

"I just told you I am not here to play games."

"Well who says it has to be a game?" He smirked, adjusting his tie which had been skewed.

"I beg your pardon?"

He fixed himself quickly, and stepped closer to me. Automatically, I took a step back. "Life is a game, Bella. You of all people should know that." His hand lifted, cupping my cheek silently, and then running down along my neck, until he pulled away and stepped back inside the building. What the hell was he talking about?

It was suddenly a lot colder.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair, which was now slightly tangled, and patted down my dress. I didn't have anything with me to survey my neck, and see the damage, but I already knew there was something there. I just wanted to find Rose and get out of here. I would deal with uncontrollable men when I was more sober.

* * *

**Here's the next part! Hope it was okay. I know it kind of seems weird that things are moving really fast, but remember, Bella is just as confused and doesn't want any of that to happen in the first place! I know there hasn't been anything worthy of the "M" rating yet, but be patient! I put it up more as a precaution for now, because of the language.  
**

**So let me know what you think. Review, please! :]**


	3. Best Friend Forever

_Rumor Says:_

_All a girl needs is a BFF, someone who will help her when the going gets tough._

_We heard Lauren Mallory's party is all about BFFs. _

_When one screws up, there's always one in the background, ready to take their place._

_If you're itching to be a candidate, you better not be late._

I woke up with a pounding headache the next morning.

Yeah, yeah, I know I didn't drink too much at the party. I'm a lightweight, I'll admit, but even I know that wasn't enough to cause the throbbing in my head that just made me feel like I was going to tip over any second.

When I got home, Rosalie insisted I needed to let out some steam. "What better way," she figured, "than to get plastered as fuck?"

At the time, it seemed like the best idea in the world. I told her about Mr. Cullen and his advances on me that night, giving more and more details with every shot of Jack Daniels we took.

She admitted to sensing something going on between us, referring back to her attempt at mind-conversing.

"Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is," she slurred. "I mean, he's a hot piece of ass. If I were into the skinnier, less muscled types, I'd definitely do him."

"Rose!" I couldn't help the giggle that escaped from my lips.

From there, the giggling escalated into full-blown laughter.

Laughter for Rose and her drunken ass falling off of the couch. Laughter for the bottle of whiskey we were currently emptying out into our shot glasses. Laughter for my life and how it was starting to resemble that bottle which was being drained of its liquid. Laughter for Edward Cullen.

When did my life get so depressing?

I hated my job. Regardless of how amusing it might be at times, and how nifty it is to be able to attend all these gatherings I would otherwise be shunned from, I abhorred it.

I didn't like talking bad about people I really, truly did not know. People hated me, and I knew it. Who likes to be disliked? I certainly don't. But there's really nothing I can do about it. It's how things played out, and without it, I wouldn't be who I am, right?

I never saw my parents. Granted, I moved away from them. But even so, I never call. It's not that I don't want to, and it's not that I don't have the time to. They don't want to talk to me. Charlie is always so busy with work, and when there is a conversation between us, it's quick, and routine, always the same.

Renee was always with her new boy toy. She lived much like Rose, always out and about, not really caring about who she meets, and how they end up in her bed, as long as they're there. Not that my mother's a slut, just a little on the promiscuous side.

The only friend I had anymore was Rosalie. Everyone either hated me, or was too scared of me, because of what I might broadcast about them.

My life felt lonely. It was isolated and with every drop of that whiskey that poured out, so did a bit of my morale. All I could do was watch as Rosalie's slim fingers tilted the bottle further and further, not realizing she was pouring my energy out with her drink.

It wasn't her fault. She didn't know. I don't think she even realized that sometime during my mental dialogue, my laughter had subsided into something more like a sob.

I wasn't crying. I didn't cry anymore. Sometime during the past few years I recognized that crying was just a moment of weakness, and in this lifestyle I chose, that's not something I can easily bend my will to. I can't be caught crying. Acting like a wimp in front of anyone would surely be unthinkable.

So it was more like dry sobs. I was going through the motions, getting it all out of me while the opportunity was there. Rose set the bottle down, suddenly sobering up as she tended to me, like a mother to her child. In a way I was like Rosalie's child. She had always been good with kids, and that's probably what helped her all those years back.

I've mentioned that Rosalie aided me in becoming who I am now. She molded me from an insecure, lanky teenage girl with issues, into a confident, more sophisticated woman, with problems. Granted, how sophisticated was it to talk about people, both positively and negatively, without their consent?

I had fallen asleep soon after that. Rosalie continued to rock me back and forth on the couch, her arms held protectively around my shoulders, letting me get it all out. Like I said, I didn't really cry anymore, the closest thing to crying I got were these tearless weeping fits, and those were far and few.

When morning came, I felt terrible, both for myself, and Rosalie. Being the amazing friend she is, she had stayed with me all night, and when I cracked an eye open, she was sprawled out on the couch with me.

Thankfully for her, she didn't have to work today.

That's probably why the bitch got me drunk. Ugh.

I would just have to endure it.

That was a lot easier said than done. I've never gone to work with a hangover, and I didn't want to do it again. No matter how much aspirin I took, the hammering didn't seem to ease up. And nobody had any sympathy for me, either.

Jessica Stanley, my co-worker constantly kept coming over to me, practically screaming at me with her high-pitched voice. I wanted to throw my computer at her, I really did.

"Bella!" Did she really have to yell? "I was thinking we could both go to that party tomorrow, you know the one with that guy who does that thing for a living?"

Oh perfect. If I thought this was bad, which it was, spending hours with her throwing herself at every guy she sees was not any better. I did not want to be her accomplice in getting a rich guy, while she was heavily intoxicated.

"Whatever."

"Whatever? So that's good, right? Kind of like a, 'Yeah, whatever, let's do it!' deal, hm?" I just waved my hand in the air, letting her take that how she wanted. "Great! I'm totally looking forward to it, Bella!"

Fan-_fucking_-tastic.

::[--]::

Finding information on Edward Cullen was not as successful as I hoped it would be.

You'd think for someone who belonged to a wealthy family would be talked about more, right?

Exactly.

I sat frustrated, exhaling a long breath that had been building up. Keeping up with Edward Cullen's life was going to be more challenging than I thought. I had been searching for any information on the guy since the day after that party, which was two weeks ago already. I wanted to know where he went, what he did, why he did it, and broadcast it to everyone, airing his dirty laundry for the world to see.

I wanted to get him back for making a fool of me.

Sure, to you guys, it might not seem like a big deal. So you got Edward Cullen to kiss you. So what? There are worse things that could happen, Bella. Quit whining.

Hell. No.

Being taken advantage of was not what I enjoyed doing in my past time. That is exactly what he did, too. He took advantage of a woman while she was under the influence of alcohol. How many people would now vote that I should stop whining about it, hm?

Shut up. I'm sticking to my way.

In order to be able to get any kind of good information about what he did _now,_ I needed to know what he's done in the _past._ There was really only information on Edward since he was 17, and it was very little. All I really knew was that he was adopted by the Cullens; I no longer had the motivation to keep searching for news on Edward Cullen today. I needed to think about something else.

Unfortunately, or fortunately rather, he decided to make himself more of a reoccurrence in my life.

Jessica walked in, holding a big bouquet of tulips. The look on her face said she was obviously not pleased that I got flowers, and she didn't. Ever since that night we went to the party together, she had been shamelessly throwing herself at a rich, older man who we knew had a knack for showering his temporary women with lots and lots of money. She had been more than a little upset that he was giving me more attention than her, and was continuously trying to shoo me away.

Of course, it wasn't my intention to attract the guy. I was just having a little fun.

Obviously, she assumed these flowers were from that man. I really hoped it wasn't. She practically threw them on my desk and stood there, hands on her hips, waiting for confirmation. I had every intention to resume working, and ignore her, but I knew that would only set her off more.

I searched the bouquet for a card, and when I found it, I slipped it off of the holder, reading it's contents quickly. My brows furrowed, and I glanced up at Jessica, who had a pleased look on her face.

"It's not from the old guy?"

"No."

"Who is it from then?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, come on Bella! What does it say?" She looked at me as though it were plain as day that the name would be on the card, and I was just overlooking it.

"Who sent these?"

She shrugged, finding more interest in her fingernails, trying to act nonchalant.

"Jessica. Who sent these flowers?"

"I don't know. They were just delivered."

It annoyed me when we got things and weren't informed who the sender was. I snooped for a living, and I had to know everything. Not knowing the name of the person who sent me these was going to eat at me.

_But you have their number…_

True. I did.

The card didn't contain any big, cryptic message or anything. It was simple, and if I really wanted to figure out who sent them, all I had to do was call.

_Call me sometime._

_555 438 2081_

Jessica was still there, feigning her sudden nail inspection. I expected her to leave, but a minute later, she was still there, waiting. "Can I help you with something, Jessica?"

Her eyes lit up, as though I had finally said the right thing. She always wanted to be useful, and a lot of people found her kind for being so thoughtful, but I could tell she just enjoyed being a part of everyone else's business. She thrived off of other people's lives, and being able to witness it firsthand. That's why she belonged here. Before I could question her further, she snatched the card from my hand, skimming it over.

I opened my mouth to protest anything she might say, but she cut me off, by grabbing my work phone. It didn't occur to me right away what she was doing, and I just watched her, caught off guard by her unusual actions. It wasn't until she clicked a button, set the phone back on the receiver, and let the sound of the ringtone fill the room, before I realized she was calling the number on the card.

She had it on speakerphone, too. What a nosey bitch.

I lifted my hand quickly, ready to hang up the phone, when the velvety smooth voice rang through the room.

"Hello?"

Jessica whipped her head to me, but I couldn't look anywhere but at the phone. I knew she was expecting me to say something, but I didn't know what. 'Hi' would be the obvious answer, but right now I was too out of it to even realize that I probably looked as though someone had frozen me in time. My mouth hung open, and I sat, stunned by the sound of the voice that sounded very familiar.

"If you aren't going to respond, I'm just going to hang up."

"No, wait!" That certainly didn't come from me. I raised my gaze to Jessica, her eyes squinted at me, as though she was trying to encourage me to speak to the mystery man on the phone.

"Yes?"

"Uh," her voice faltered, brows furrowed in concentration as she wondered how to keep this guy on the phone. "Who are you?"

"Well that depends on who you are," his voice had a hint of an edge to it. We were probably irritating him.

"Isabella Swan," Jessica had the audacity to pose as me, a smile spreading across her lips. I'm glad she was getting a kick out of this. Not.

There was a long pause. I wasn't sure if he hung up or not, it was completely silent on the other end. "You don't sound like Bella," his tone was accusing.

"That's because she's not."

I could see Jessica roll her eyes at me, as if to say, 'Oh, _now_ you decide to speak.'

"Bella," he murmured. I almost didn't hear it; it was spoken so softly, as though he were whispering in my ear. At first, the voice was almost unrecognizable, but now, now that he had changed the tone of his voice, I immediately knew who it was.

My back instinctively tensed up, and I sat straight, my arms folding across my chest as I glared at the offending phone. "Mr. Cullen."

He chuckled, a sound that made Jessica swoon. I almost snapped at her to get out and leave me to my business, but Edward interrupted.

"How are you enjoying my flowers?"

"I've seen better." I hadn't.

"Hm. Well I guess the next set will have to be more impressive." He sounded playful, but I could tell he was serious. "So would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

I could feel my eyebrows shoot up right away. This was moving very fast. I only just realized it was him, and now he's asking me to dinner? "No," I immediately shouted out. Jessica look at me, honestly surprised.

"Why not?"

"Because I, ah," I pulled up my schedule on my computer, scanning it quickly to see if I had any important events. "I have a party I need to attend. Work comes first, and they can't get anyone else to cover for me."

Apparently, Jessica found this as her cue to be helpful.

"Oh, Bella, I can cover for you! It's the Mallory event, right? I've been so looking forward to going to it! This is perfect, now you can go out with Mr. Cullen." Her squeaky giggle was enough to make me cringe, let alone the fact that Edward knew I was free tomorrow night.

"Wonderful. Thank you, Ms…" Hr trailed off, waiting for her to fill in her name.

"Stanley! My name is Jessica Stanley! What's your name, I didn't catch it."

"Ms. Stanley. My name is Edward Cullen. I greatly appreciate you helping Bella free up her night. Goodbye Bella, Ms. Stanley."

The resounding click of Edward's phone echoed throughout my small office room, and for a second, I just glared up at Jessica. I wanted to scream at her, slap her, punch her, anything! Unfortunately I'm not allowed to do any of that while I'm at work.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. I heard Jessica's heels click against the wood of the floor as she scampered off quickly to her office, no doubt. I was positive she was going to go research this Cullen mastermind.

Good luck.

I had half the mind to redial his number, cancel on him, and send the flowers back, but I didn't. I wouldn't, because honestly, I was a little excited. Believe it or not, I was slightly looking forward to having dinner with Edward Cullen.

* * *

**Sooooooo.... I meant to update this a few days ago, because it's just been sitting in my documents, just needing a little tweaking, but so much stuff happened this weekend! I think some of it reflects in the beginning of the chapter, because Bella starts to get a little angsty. There was just a lot of unnecessary drama going on, and I won't bore you guys with it, but I was feeling very sad. **

**That's all well and done with though, so no worries! Haha. Also, after I decided to "tweak" it a little, I ended up rewriting the whole thing, so I didn't want to post the other one in the end.. **

**So review, please! If I get enough, maybe I'll update a lot sooner than normal! ;] (Reviews really make me happy and the happier I am, the more I want to write!)**


	4. Windows

_Rumor Says:_

_You know what they say about doors closing, and a new ones opening. _

_Well I say, what about the window? _

_Just be careful, some windows are clear, but some can be deceitful. _

_You might lift up that glass to find a dead-end. _

_Little Leah Clearwater had to find out the hard way, when Sam Uley's engagement to Emily Young was announced at Lauren Mallory's BFF Bash._

_.  
_

I had exactly two hours before I was supposed to meet Edward.

Oddly enough, my nerves were eating me up. I couldn't shake this feeling in the pit of my stomach, like my body was trying to tell me something bad was going to happen.

Just the fact that this was happening was bad enough.

I hadn't told Rosalie yet. If she knew that Edward had been sending me flowers at work, and that I had his phone number, she'd be very upset.

Since a couple nights ago when we got drunk, and I had that fit, she's been blaming him for it. I didn't have the guts to tell her that I was just having a moment of teen angst…

…In my twenties.

Yeah, I'm sure I chose the better of the two options. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, or me.

The only clue Edward had given me as to where we were going was that I needed to "dress nice." A lot of good that did me, I had a lot of "nice" clothes that I could wear, but I needed specifics.

Guys never gave you specifics.

So I was in a predicament. Without Rosalie and her man-advice, I was left to fend for myself. Of course, time was ticking, and so I needed to choose now.

I grabbed the first thing in my "Maybe" pile, and slipped into it. It was a dark, charmeuse dress, with a wide navy stripe lining just under the bust, and straight down the middle in both front and back. It had a low V-neck, but the way the dress fit made sure I didn't have any part of me popping out on accident. What I loved most about it, were the variously sized golden jewels at the top of the straps on the shoulders.

Damn, Bella. You look good.

::[--]::

I didn't have much time to fix up my hair, or make-up, so I opted for a quick, loose side bun, and some smokey eyes. It was simple, but I didn't care.

Much like I didn't care about this date.

Would you even call it a date? I was pretty much forced into it, and I hadn't been looking forward to it at all. I despised Edward, and if it weren't for Jessica, whom I despised almost as much, I would be at the Mallory party, mingling with fashionable ladies, not some mood-swingy guy who can't keep his paws off the first woman that walks by.

I was regretting my decision to come with every step I took towards the building.

Edward had sent me a few more bouquets of flowers since that phone call. The first was an arrangement of Orchids, with a note that read, "Dress Nice." The next one arrived just before I left work, and held more useful information, along with a contrasting arrangement of yellow Tulips, and purple Irises.

The flowers were actually very beautiful, and my office smelled wonderful, I just wish they were sent to me by someone I actually liked. I would never admit that to Edward, though.

Speaking of Edward, I was already at the entrance of the building he had told me to head to, and from the looks of it, I could tell it was not a restaurant. Maybe he had been lying.

That bastard! He was just playing me to get me to make an even bigger fool of myse—

"Bella, you're right on time."

I snapped my head up, not even noticing I had been glaring at the cement, still right in front of the entrance. Edward was standing in front of me, his lips pulled up into a big smile that almost seemed fake.

It made me want to punch him.

It also made me wonder if he was born with perfect teeth, because really, they were very white, and all stra—

"Are you going to stare at my teeth all night, or are we going to head on over to the restaurant?"

That asshole.

One of my hands landed on my hip, my weight leaning all on one of my black-heeled shoes, as I feigned a nonchalant look. "Actually, I was hoping we'd just stand here all night, chit-chatting about some nonsensical bullshit."

He laughed, before stepping forward, his lifting up a few inches quickly, before slowly falling back to his side, as though he chose not to take that action. I just arched a brow, waiting for a response.

"As much fun as that sounds, Miss Swan, I don't think the restaurant would appreciate us cancelling our reservation."

I rolled my eyes but allowed him to lead the way. We walked about a block, Edward apologizing every once in a while for making me walk to the place, rather than picking me up. "See, Bella. You could take a note out of my book and learn to apologize to people."

So this was why he was taking me out? Throughout all of the commotion with Edward, I had practically forgotten about the whole incident with his sister, and the fact that Edward was determined to get me to apologize to his baby of a sister.

"_Miss Swan, when I feel it is necessary, I will use any means possible to get what I want."_

"I'd rather stay away from your book, Mr. Cullen. And if this dinner is just about making me say that I am sorry, then I must decline the offer. I will not apologize."

I could hear him sigh quietly, and in my peripheral vision saw him run a hand through his hair.

Bad habit, I'm assuming.

"Miss Swan, what did you think this was going to be about, if not me trying to persuade you to do the right thing?"

I snapped my head at him, my eyes instantly narrowing at him. "What are you insinuating, Mr. Cullen?" I seethed. How preposterous! Did he honestly believe that I came because I was hoping that this would be an actual date or because, heaven forbid, I _like_ him?

"Only that you seemed surprised to find out that the whole ordeal between you and my sister would not be forgotten. Surely you had other ideas in mind, or perhaps other intentions?"

"How dare you." I didn't shout at him. It came out more like a whisper.

"How dare I? Miss Swan, am I offending you?"

"Yes!" How could he think he wasn't?

I expected him to yell at me, or say something worse, or even walk away, but instead, he smiled. It was that smile he showed me the first day I met him, the one where one corner of his lips was raised higher than the other. Back then, I remember thinking that if he weren't throwing a hissy fit and being a creep, it might be an appealing quirk. Right now, however, with his dark green eyes smoldering down at me through his long lashes, I couldn't help but find that crooked smile sexy as hell.

God, Bella, snap out of it!

The truth was, I didn't want to. I may dislike Edward Cullen severely, but when was the last time I had really had someone look at me this way? It's certainly been a long time.

Despite the fact that Edward had just been falsely accusing me of wanting to jump his bones earlier, I felt the side of me that actually wanted to do those things growing rapidly. I didn't get too many chances for any kind of sexual adventures nowadays, since I'm so involved with my work. Most of the guys that I've had experiences with weren't even as attractive or tempting as Edward. Should I really pass up the chance that I could tell this argument would bring about?

Yes, I should.

But I didn't.

Edward had begun to lean forward slowly, tilting my chin up a little more with his finger, until our lips met. I wasn't expecting for him to attack me, because the lead up to the kiss seemed gentler. Not to say that I didn't enjoy it.

I chose to swing my arm around his neck, in a rather ungraceful manner, I might add. My other arm was crushed between our two bodies, but I didn't care. The body language was awkward, but the desire between our mouths was enough to make all of that unimportant.

We stood like that for a few minutes, Edward's hand on the back of my neck, keeping me there, the other gripping my waist tightly. When I pulled away, my chest heaving as I tried to breathe in all the oxygen I had been deprived of, Edward saw it as an opportunity to attach his lips to my neck. Breathing didn't seem to be a problem for him, which I found really interesting. My head lolled back, exposing more of my skin to him, and he wasted no time.

I was lost in the moment, not caring about anything but Edward and his divine lips, until I heard a loud cough, followed by an elderly woman's voice chastising us for our actions. Edward didn't seem to hear them, seeing as he continued his assault on my neck, so I tried to get his attention.

Not that I didn't already have it…

"Edward," my voice came out airy and high-pitched. "Edward, what about the reservations?"

I figured that would catch his attention. After all, only a few minutes ago, he had been the one reminding me about the reservations. He mumbled against the side of my neck, and I wasn't quite sure what he said. He was kissing his way back up my neck, across my jaw, and to the spot behind my ear.

"Do you want to go to my place, Bella?" He whispered into my ear, his breath cool against my overheated face.

No, I most certainly do _not_!

"What about dinner?"

Edward laughed, and the sound was beautiful. It was deep, but clear, and I found myself just staring at his lips. "Bella, if you're really that hungry, I'll feed you when we get there."

I almost blushed. Almost. I felt like I was back in high school, where I had no experience, and was a clumsy teenage girl. I felt all these things I hadn't felt in years, in just a matter of minutes. Normally, I was more composed, and confident, whereas here, with Edward, it was the opposite. My face felt hot, my knees slightly wobbly, and my movements uncomfortable. Did I really want to go home with this man?

My conscience was telling me no, that I should stay put and demand we go to the restaurant.

Edward and I both knew we wouldn't be listening to my conscience tonight. Without me answering, he grinned, and hailed a taxi. He never once let go of my waist as he maneuvered me in, mumbling his address as he went. It wasn't far, but the whole ride there, my mind kept yelling at me to stop the taxi and get out.

My mind was silenced when Edward's hand slipped onto my knee, making slow movements with his thumb. My skin felt like it was on fire, and when he stared at me with that look in his eyes, the one that clearly says "I'm going to ravish you," I knew that I would melt. It was only a matter of time.

I didn't have much time to think after that, as Edward guided me out of the vehicle, paying the cab driver. While he led me into the building, up the elevator, and to his apartment door, I idly wondered about how Jessica's night was going. I thought about what Lauren Mallory's party was like right now, if there were any good scoops she'll be able to find.

Edward finally got the door open, and pulled me in, his eyes seemingly glowing as he shut the door behind me, locking it. Maybe this isn't so bad, being here with Edward. Maybe I'll be able to find some sort of good story within all this mess.

At that thought, something clicked in me. I wasn't here to have a friendly casual fling with someone I, clearly, didn't like. I wasn't even here as some teenage klutz who was getting her first time over with. I'm Bella Swan, and I'm here to get some dirt on Edward Cullen, no matter the cost.

With that realization in my head, I smirked up at Edward, as I grabbed his tie between my fingers and pulled hard. His lips came crashing down to mine, shock written on his face for a moment, before it was quickly pushed aside.

Poor Edward Cullen didn't have a clue.

* * *

**So, like I said, I'd post earlier for you guys. :]**

**If you're lucky maybe I'll make it a habit to post earlier! I do have a question though. I'm not sure if I should write a lemon for the next chapter or not. Do you guys think I should, or would you rather not see one?**

**Review and let me know your answer, please!**


	5. Kitty Cat

_Rumor Says: _

_Cats are just playful by nature, _

_but sometimes you come across those felines that are just plain angry._

_Lauren Mallory and Leah Clearwater are two kittens_

_who are known for throwing hissy fits._

_Watch out, Emily._

_You might just find yourself in a cat fight you never saw coming._

Sometimes I really hated waking up early. As soon as the sun began to rise, I was up and about, ready to start my day.

Most of those days I did not look forward to.

I did not enjoy having get up wondering who's life I could potentially be ruining that day, or who I was going to make cry. I wasn't a bad person at heart.

Besides, a person crying because of me is fucking annoying. Suck it up, babies. You're going to need to grow up eventually. Not everyone is going to respect your feelings. I might as well get you prepared for it now.

Life was hard, after all. People didn't care about anyone else but themselves, and you just have to adjust. That was a lesson I learned from myself, and it was something I had always sworn by.

Sighing mentally, I sat up, slowly and gently pulling the sheet off of the bed and wrapping it around me.

I padded lightly over to the door of the room, before I glanced down at the bed, seeing Edward still asleep.

Yeah, I had sex with Edward last night.

Yes, it was great.

No, I did not like it one bit.

I never enjoyed using my body for my work. You weren't supposed to mix business with pleasure, at least that's what people always said.

Not that sex with Edward was pleasurable, and not that I ever listened to what people said.

Shaking my head, I continued on my journey through Edward's apartment, grabbing my bra and panties and slipping them on quickly, before searching for my dress. I found it underneath a desk, and snatched it up quickly, sliding into it carefully. It was wrinkled, and as I did my best to smooth out the material I glanced around the room.

It was very modern, and very expensive.

At least he had good taste.

But I guess anyone with money has good taste, don't they? Edward was certainly rich, no doubt about that.

I made a mental picture of the room, taking in minor details about things I deemed important.

Girls were always better with details anyways. You could put a guy in a room, and have him notice bigger, more important things, but put a girl in there, and she'll give you the exact description of the details on the tea cup to the left of the room, on top of the mahogany end table.

Okay, that's a bit exaggerated, but you get the picture.

Deciding it was in my best interest to get out of here sooner, rather than later, I made my way to the bathroom.

I was not going to leave the apartment looking like I wrestled with an ape last night.

More like a monkey, really…

Once I was ready, I folded the sheet I had used to shield myself when I woke up, and left it on the couch before slinking out the door.

I was oddly reminded of those college movies where the women leave the next morning, only to take part in a "walk of shame."

Fortunately, this was no college movie, and I was not doing the walk of shame.

Really, you can't be a participant, if you aren't ashamed, everyone knows that.

::[-]::

I had 13 voicemails, 21 missed calls, and 25 text messages when I finally checked my phone.

Most of them had been from a frantic Jessica Stanley, her voice shaky as she stuttered.

Poor little Jess. Clearly she couldn't handle being one of the big girls. I would remember that next time she bothered me to help her get a promotion.

As the messages went on, she became more nervous, babbling about Lauren Mallory and how upset she was about how the party was turning out. Apparently, Sam Uley got extremely drunk last night, after Leah Clearwater wouldn't stop her advancements on him, and unthinkingly blurted out that he was marrying Emily Young.

Of course, Lauren was furious that someone dared to steal her thunder at her own party, and took it out on Jessica, trying to get the other girl to fix it.

Jessica was one of those people who always had to have the best. She needed to be in on all of the best crowds, needed to have the best friends, and obviously to her, Lauren Mallory was one of the best. I knew that would be her motive for going to the party. She wanted to fill that spot of BFF on Lauren's list, and I knew she would do what she wanted to get it.

Judging by her last voice message, she had not succeeded. If her hysterical sobs were anything to go by, she had probably failed miserably.

Not that I doubted she would screw something up. For all I knew, she was probably egging on Leah to go after Sam, while she supplied him with the alcohol that most likely 'caused his outburst.

What a waste of human space.

If there was one person who did not belong in this business, it was Jessica. She was too naïve, too pathetic.

Too useless.

Rolling my eyes at the knowledge that I'd have to see her today at work, I prepped myself for having to deal with her immature antics. I was positive she would throw a fit.

If anything, I could just tell her to take the day off, maybe get drunk and jump off a cliff. Whatever floats her boat.

And if she happens to be on that boat, I hope it sinks.

At least it would give me plenty of peace and quiet to think about, and plan out my next move.

I needed to find out more about Edward. Surely there must be some secrets about him that have been covered up. For being so rich, he didn't have a lot of information out there. It was unusual, and a little more than suspicious.

I'm positive that the Cullens are hiding something, especially about Edward. I will find out what it is, and I will do what I need to, to get that precious secret.

I was going to start at the center of the secret, which I was sure would be Edward. And from there, I would attack him where he was most susceptible.

I would hit him where it hurt.

If that so happened to be his heart, well that was just too bad for him.

* * *

**So it's been a really long time, I know, and this was super short... I'm sorry! This was just a bit of a filler, and I promise the next one will have more stuff! I'm still thinking of doing a chapter in Edward's POV, but I'm not sure if it would flow well with the story. Edward's mindset is different from Bella's after all... Hahaha. **

**Please review! I like to know what you guys are thinking!**


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